Panelist Bio

Skip BertmanAtheletics Director, Louisiana State University

Already a Louisiana Legend and one of the greatest college baseball coaches of all time, J. Stanley 'Skip' Bertman has made the seamless transition into the athletics director's chair with the same enthusiasm, vision and demand for excellence that were trademarks of his stellar coaching career.

In five years as LSU's director of athletics, Bertman has added to his impressive list of on-the-field achievements. Under his direction, LSU has enjoyed arguably the greatest athletics years in the history of the institution.

Under Bertman's direction, LSU teams have also enjoyed improved grade point averages across the board, making the LSU student-athlete experience a success on and off the fields of competition.

While supervising the Tigers' progress on the playing fields, he has implemented measures necessary to realize his vision of building the LSU athletics department into the best in the country. Bertman's bold and innovative plans promise to keep the Tigers among the nation's elite in all phases of collegiate athletics.

Bertman guided LSU to five NCAA baseball titles, and his teams drew huge crowds to venerable Alex Box Stadium, as the Tigers led the nation in attendance in each of his final six seasons (1996-2001).

He also served as head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team which captured the bronze medal in Atlanta.

Bertman continues to be honored for his remarkable coaching tenure, as he was inducted in June, 2006 into the new College Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the hall's inaugural class. He has also been induced into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.